Presque Isle attorney charged with failure to file, pay taxes

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A Presque Isle man has been charged in Augusta District Court with 12 misdemeanor counts related to his alleged failure to file and pay Maine income taxes.

Alan F. Harding, 57, who also is an attorney in the city, has been charged with six counts of failure to make and file Maine income tax returns and six counts of failure to pay Maine state income taxes, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

Harding has pled not guilty to all charges. Information about the matter was turned over to the Attorney General’s Office after an inquiry by an agent with Maine Revenue Services in Augusta.

Assistant Attorney General Gregg Bernstein, who is prosecuting the case, said Monday evening that he could release few details about the case. He said the misdemeanor charges stemmed from Harding’s alleged failure to file tax returns and pay income taxes from 2004 to 2009.

He said he could not comment on the amount of tax money allegedly involved.

The charges were filed in court in Augusta three weeks ago, according to the criminal complaint. Bernstein said that his office had the option of filing the charges in Aroostook County but chose the Augusta court because it is more centrally located to the Attorney General’s Office.

An initial appearance in the case took place last week.

Bernstein said that Harding did not appear in court but was represented by his attorney, Walter McKee of the Augusta-based law firm Lipman Katz & McKee. McKee entered pleas of not guilty to all twelve counts on Harding’s behalf, according to Bernstein.

Harding has not yet requested a jury trial, according to Bernstein, but the prosecutor said that if one is requested, it could be scheduled in the next two months.

Neither McKee nor Harding returned phone calls seeking comment.

The maximum penalty for conviction on each Class D charge is up to one year in jail and up to a $2,000 fine.